Channel Islands National Park ⓘ

Arlington Man Native Inhabitants Chinese Abalone Fishermen Chinese and Japanese Abalone Fishermen

For over ten thousand years, the northern Channel Islands have hosted a diverse range of peoples and cultures. The large number and undisturbed condition of archeological sites on the islands are shedding light on coastal migration patterns of the earliest Americans and their subsistence in the marine environment. Human remains discovered in 1959 at Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island have been dated to more than 13,000 years of age, among the oldest dated human remains in North America.

New information about the Island Chumash, the native population that inhabited these islands for thousands of years, continues to fascinate historians and visitors alike. These native people relied on the sea for much of their sustenance and manufactured tools and trade items from shells and stones. The Chumash were able to travel between the islands and the mainland in plank canoes, called tomols, which were constructed out of redwood trees drifting down the coast.

In 1542, explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo reached San Miguel Island while voyaging along the American coast seeking new lands for conquest and development. For two hundred years, explorers and traders visited the islands where they hunted otters, seals, and sea lions for their pelts and oil, greatly increasing the exploitation of the marine resources and introducing diseases that decimated the native populations.

Claimed for Spain by the early explorers, the islands fell under Mexican rule in 1821. Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa were awarded as Mexican land grants with the intent of raising livestock. Initial ventures into sheep and cattle ranching began on these islands in the 1830s. With California statehood in 1850, the islands became part of the United States.

Each of the five northern Channel Islands was developed for livestock ranching during some period of the 19th and 20th centuries. Taking advantage of the expansive fields and altering much of the natural environment, ranchers and vaqueros, or cowboys, built successful sheep and cattle ranches. Many historic ranch buildings remain on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands today.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all established posts on the northern Channel Islands during the 20th century. Light towers were constructed on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands in the 1910s, and a full light station was built on East Anacapa Island in 1932, run by the Coast Guard into the 1960s. Coastal defense build-up led to the establishment of an Army base in 1943 and an Air Force Base in 1950, both on Santa Rosa Island. The Navy managed San Miguel Island from 1948 until it transferred management to the National Park Service in 1967. The Navy also continues to maintain a small post on Santa Cruz Island.

Today National Park Service personnel and park visitors form the primary population of the five northern islands. Established as a National Monument in 1938, Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands were the first two islands under NPS management. In 1980 legislation creating Channel Islands National Park added the three remaining Northern Channel Islands. Today the National Park Service protects and preserves the historic resources associated with the various historic inhabitants of the islands to help tell their stories to the public

Anacapa Island History & Culture Anacapa Island Light Station Santa Cruz Island History & Culture Santa Rosa Island History & Culture Santa Barbara Island History & Culture

An Ancient String of Pearls Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his Spanish fleet first came upon San Miguel Island in 1542. In the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel they found an island chain with a long and rich history. The Chumash, who lived on the northern islands and along the coastline, had inhabited those lands for millenia, living off of the rich resources of the land and the sea.

Cabrillo's fleet explored the California mainland and the offshore islands, producing the first accounts of Chumash culture and securing these ancient lands for the Spanish crown. In time, the four northern Channel Islands of Tuqan, Wi'ma, Limuw, and Anyapakh, as they were known by the Chumash, were given their present names (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa).

Over the centuries, the islands saw several economic transformations. The Chumash food sources and trading patterns with the mainland were disrupted by European newcomers' otter and seal hunting, fishing, shellfish harvesting, and kelp production which were some of the earliest European industries to develop among the Channel Islands. By the first quarter of the 19th century, the Chumash had vacated the islands to take up residence on the mainland, primarily in the Catholic missions established by the Spanish along the California coastline.

Mexican independence from Spain and California statehood saw a shift towards livestock ranching. Each of the five park islands supported sheep grazing during the early 20th century. Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island both had large cattle operations. World War II coastal defenses and the Cold War build-up both left remnants of their presence of the islands. The remains of numerous shipwrecks testify to the hazards the islands posed to California's busy mariners as they navigated the narrow channel. In 1932, the U.S. Coast Guard constructed a light station on Anacapa Island, whose lighthouse and fog signal are still in operation today.

On April 26, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands as the Channel Islands National Monument. The Monument was later enlarged to include the one-mile area around the islands which brought the offshore kelp beds and marine life under park protection. The present Channel Islands National Park, which was created in 1980, includes the five islands of Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Santa Barbara, and San Miguel.

Channel Islands National Park maintains a museum and archival collection of more than 300,000 objects related to the park's cultural and natural history. While the park's historical archives and administrative records are housed at the park, most of the park's artifacts and specimens are located in nearby institutions.

These collections have resulted from research and resource management activities undertaken by park personnel, researchers, and staff of partner institutions over a period of some 75 years. Much of the research and collecting occurred prior to the establishment of the National Park, when Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands were privately owned.

Two of the premier objects in the park's museum collection are the original third-order Fresnel lens from the Anacapa lighthouse and the nearly-complete pygmy mammoth skeleton from Santa Rosa Island. The Fresnel Lens is displayed in the Anacapa Island visitor center, while a plaster cast of the pygmy mammoth skeleton can be seen in the park's Ventura visitor center and at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Arlington Springs: The Earliest Evidence for Paleoindians in Coastal California Arlington Springs Man broke into the news following the Fifth California Islands Symposium held at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in 1999. Newspapers, magazines, television news, and radio programs around the world reported on what is arguably the earliest dated human remains in either North or South America. Using a small fragment of a human femur discovered by Phil Orr in 1959 on Santa Rosa Island, modern techniques of bone protein analysis and radiocarbon dating indicate that Arlington Springs Man lived some 13,000 (calendar) years ago. Only one other find in North America, a child burial from the now-destroyed Anzick Site in Montana has ever been dated to this early age.

Arlington Springs Man lived at the end of the Pleistocene when the four northern Channel Islands were all still united together as one mega-island, and the climate was much cooler than today. The evidence that people had arrived on that island by 13,000 years ago demonstrates that watercraft were in use along the California coast at that early date and lends support for a theory that the earliest peoples to enter the Western Hemisphere may have migrated along the Pacific coast from Siberia and Alaska using boats. Recent radiocarbon dating by Dr. Larry Agenbroad of pygmy mammoth fossils from Santa Rosa Island suggests that the last of these unique mammals may have been present on the island at the time the first humans arrived.

An interdisciplinary team of archaeologists and geologists has been investigating the Arlington Springs locality over the past twelve years. In 2001 detailed studies were conducted to date the geological layers at the site and collect information regarding the late Pleistocene environment on Santa Rosa Island. New technologies, such as laser mapping and ground penetrating radar have been used to document the site and gather additional information to guide future research. During the most recent field season, a series of soil cores were obtained that will yield invaluable information about the geological and environmental history of the island.

Archeological evidence indicates that there has been a human presence in the northern Channel Islands for thousands of years. Human remains excavated by archeologist Phil Orr from Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island in 1959, recently yielded a radio-carbon date of over 13,000 years of age. Archeological sites on San Miguel Island show continuous occupation from 8,000 – 11,000 years ago.

The native populations of the Channel Islands were primarily Chumash. The word Michumash , from which the name Chumash is derived, means “makers of shell bead money” and is the term mainland Chumash used to refer to those inhabiting the islands. Traditionally the Chumash people lived in an area extending from San Luis Obispo to Malibu, including the four Northern Channel Islands. Today, with the exception of the Islands, Chumash people live in these territories and areas far beyond. Approximately 148 historic village sites have been identified, including 11 on Santa Cruz Island, eight on Santa Rosa Island, and two on San Miguel Island . Due to the lack of a consistent water source, Anacapa Island was likely inhabited on a seasonal basis. A true maritime culture, the Chumash hunted and gathered natural resources from both the ocean and the coastal mountains to maintain a highly developed way of life.

The southernmost park island, Santa Barbara Island, was associated with the Tongva people, also called Gabrieleno, although the Chumash also visited the island. Like the Chumash, they navigated the ocean and traded with their neighbors on the northern islands and the coast. Lacking a steady supply of fresh water, no permanent settlements were ever established on Santa Barbara Island. Tongva/Gabrieleno people lived primarily on the Southern Channel Islands (Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands) and the area in and around Los Angeles.

Navigation, Trade, and the Tomol These earliest inhabitants exploited the rich marine resources. Isolated from the mainland, they navigated between the islands and back and forth to the mainland using tomols . A plank canoe constructed from redwood logs that floated down the coast and held together by yop , a glue-like substance made from pine pitch and asphaltum, and cords made of plant materials and animal sinews, the tomol ranged from eight to thirty feet in length and held three to ten people. Sharkskin was used for sanding, red ochre for staining, and abalone for inlay and embellishment.

The use of the tomol allowed for an elaborate trade network between the islands and mainland, between natives and non-natives, and amongst the island communities themselves. 'Achum , or shell bead money was "minted" by the island Chumash using small discs shaped from olivella shells and drills manufactured from Santa Cruz Island chert. The shell bead money was exchanged with mainland villages for resources and manufactured goods that were otherwise unavailable on the islands.

Today, the Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council, in partnership with Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park, continues the tradition of the tomol by conducting Channel crossings. Learn more about the Chumash Tomol Crossing .

Missionization By the time European explorers arrived in the Santa Barbara Channel, there were some 21 villages on the three largest islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, with highly developed social hierarchies that featured an upper class of chiefs, shamans, boat builders, and artisans, a middle class of workers, fisherman, and hunters, and a lower class of the poor and outcast. Because of the scarcity of fresh water, Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands did not support permanent habitation.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was impressed by the friendliness of the Chumash people he encountered. However, diseases introduced by the European explorers began a decline in the native population. As European colonists began to settle along the coast, introducing new economic enterprises, exploiting the marine resources, and establishing Catholic missions, the native food sources were depleted, native economies were altered, and island populations declined even further. By the 1820s, the last of the island Chumash had moved to the mainland, many of them to the Missions at Santa Ynez, San Buenaventura, and Santa Barbara.

The mission system depended on the use of native labor to propel industry and the economy. The social organization of Chumash society was restructured, leading to the erosion of previous power bases and further assimilation. When California became part of Mexico, the government secularized the missions, and the Chumash sank into the depths of poverty. By the time of the California gold rush, the Chumash had become marginalized, and little was done to understand or help the remaining population.

Contemporary Chumash Today, Chumash community members continue to move forward in their efforts to revive what was becoming a forgotten way of life. Much has been lost, but Chumash community members take pride in their heritage and culture.

With a current population nearly 5,000 strong, some Chumash people can trace their ancestors to the five islands of Channel Islands National Park. The Chumash reservation in Santa Ynez represents the only federally recognized band, though it is important to note that several other organized Chumash tribal groups exist.

The National Park Service invites you to visit Channel Islands National Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, and other local areas to learn more about the Chumash and other Native American cultures.

Just 13 miles from the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura, Anacapa Island is the second smallest of the Channel Islands at roughly five miles long and one-half mile wide. The native Chumash once called this island “Ennepah,” a word meaning deception or mirage which alluded to this island’s changing shape when viewed at different times from the mainland and other islands. Anacapa is actually a narrow chain of three islands appropriately called East, Middle, and West Anacapa. Emerging from the fog of the Santa Barbara Channel, Anacapa Island drifts in and out of sight, beckoning visitors from the mainland as it has for centuries.

Chumash on Anacapa Archeological evidence suggests that the native Chumash people were visiting Anacapa Island as long as 5,000 years ago. Abalone and mussel shells, bones from fish, birds, and pinnipeds, and human artifacts such as bone tools, shell beads, projectile points, and fish hooks all suggest extensive human activity on the island. Due to the absence of fresh water on the island, it is likely that seasonal camps were used for fishing and other activities.

Despite the lack of archeological evidence of permanent settlements on the island, Chumash legend holds that the American Indian population of the Channel Islands began on Anacapa. In the early 20 th century, anthropologist John Harrington extensively interviewed a Mission San Buenaventura Chumash man named Fernando Librado who told Harrington a story passed on orally through generations of Chumash Indians. According to the story, eight families traveled to Anacapa Island after a civil war on the mainland and settled on the north side of the middle island. For water, they dug a hole and used seepage at Indian Cave on West Anacapa. After a time, the eight families left Anacapa for Santa Cruz Island, eventually spreading to all the northern islands.

European Contact Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European explorer to make contact with the Channel Islands in 1542. Although he passed Anacapa, he and his crew never settled there. Cabrillo named the northern Islands Las Islas de San Lucas, which included Anacapa.

Learning that there were no American Indians on the island, few European explorers visited Anacapa the following decades. Its small size and relative unimportance left the island largely unrecorded for a period of 250 years. The 1793 expedition by Englishman George Vancouver standardized the names of the Channel Islands. Vancouver recorded Anacapa as “Enecapa” and the present spelling appeared on maps in 1854.

Ranching Like many of the other Channel Islands, Anacapa Island was used for sheep ranching during the latter half of the 19 th century. It is uncertain exactly when ranching began on Anacapa. It is believed that three men owned ranches prior to the first recorded lease which began in 1902. H. Bay Webster, himself a sheep rancher on the island, recalled that the first sheep ranch had been established by George Nidever before 1885, although he may have been confused with events on San Miguel Island .

Ranchers used Middle Anacapa for the main headquarters of their sheep operations and the livestock were landed on the northwest side of the island. Sheep survived year-round, but on a marginal basis. With no dependable supply of fresh water, many recalled the somewhat dubious story that the sheep would lick the moisture from the morning fog off of each other’s coats. To improve grazing, sheep ranchers introduced exotic grasses to the island. By the 1930s the sheep had destroyed most of the native plants and had begun to eat the endemic Astragalus miguelensis. As a result, many of the sheep died, bringing an end to sheep herding on Anacapa.

Residents Heaman Bayfield Webster, a former island seal hunter, long-time Ventura resident and assistant postmaster, established residence on Middle Anacapa with his wife and two sons in 1907. For $31 per year, he leased all three of the islands “for grazing and farming only,” establishing the first government-recorded ranch on Anacapa. The family spent summers and two winters on the island tending to a flock of nearly 300 sheep. In the fall of 1911, Webster set up a school in a tent for his children and hired a governess to teach them, the first school house on the Channel Islands. Most of Webster’s income came from tourism and wool.

Perhaps the most illustrious resident of Anacapa Island was Raymond "Frenchy" LeDreau. The Frenchman made his way to the island in 1928, taking up the life of a fisherman and hermit. He built several huts perched on a ledge overlooking the area now called Frenchy's Cove. Focusing on lobster fishing, Frenchy sold fish to passing Larco Company boats and hosted visitors and fisherman passing by. Friends old and new brought him food and supplies in return for lobster, abalone, and conversation. He was an educated man, apt to discuss literature and sing an aria in a tenor voice. During prohibition he made money by watching over caches of liquor stored in many of Anacapa's caves by rumrunners and bootleggers.

When the US Government created the Channel Islands National Monument in 1938, which included both Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands, it appeared that Frenchy might be forced to leave. So impressed, however, was National Park Service biologist Lowell Sumner with LeDreau's concern for the natural history and welfare of the island that Lowell suggested LeDreau "be allowed to remain on the island as long as he desires." Frenchy became the de-facto caretaker of Anacapa Island for the National Park Service until 1956 when, at the age of 80, he was forced to leave after a fall left him with severe injuries. He had lived on Anacapa Island for 28 years.

In 1932, the Anacapa Island Light Station was completed on East Anacapa Island. The lighthouse and fog signal are still operated by the US Coast Guard and the original Fresnel lens is on display in the island's visitor center.

The National Park Service On April 26, 1938, the Channel Islands National Monument was established. It included both Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands. Nearly twenty years later, in July 1959, Anacapa Island opened to visitors and provided park ranger services. Closest to the mainland, Anacapa is the most visited island of the Channel Islands National Park.

More About Anacapa There are many other interesting stories about Anacapa Island. Before establishing himself as a painter, the artist James Whistler was employed by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey as a draftsman and engraver, and produced a map of Anacapa Island. The historic Anacapa Island Lighthouse was erected in 1932, but not before the treacherously rocky coastline churned up several shipwrecks, including the Winfield Scott , of which the remains can be seen right off of Anacapa's shores.

Anacapa LIght Station Historical Report The thick fog and strong currents of the Santa Barbara Channel have proved treacherous to maritime traders and other vessels for centuries. Sea captains traveling to San Francisco along the west coast of Central and South America avoided the narrow passage for much of the nineteenth century, for fear of colliding with one of the islands in darkness, fog or stormy conditions. Since its completion in 1932, the Anacapa Island Lighthouse has helped guide sailors through the precarious Channel waters. Still, the fractured remains of shipwrecks are chilling reminders of nature’s enormous power.

Bringing Light to the Channel Islands The wreck of the passenger steamship Winfield Scott in 1853 highlighted the need for a light on Anacapa Island. Congress, unfamiliar with the maritime navigation perils of the West Coast, agreed only to fund a less expensive mainland station at Port Hueneme which began operation in 1874. Shipping accidents, particularly to lumber schooners, continued and the Bureau of Lighthouses was finally convinced to authorize a temporary acetylene light for the south side of the easterly entrance to the Santa Barbara Channel. In 1911, a 50-foot metal tower with a light atop it was constructed on the tip of East Anacapa. In clear weather, the light could be seen from 20 miles in the distance.

An estimated nine-tenths of all vessels trading up and down the Pacific Coast were passing through the Santa Barbara Channel by 1920. Members of the American Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots demanded a fog signal as well as a light. A permanent lighthouse, however, required authorization by Congress. When the tank steamer Liebre grounded on the east end of Anacapa Island on February 28, 1921, directly under the light tower, local inspectors blamed the inadequate station.

In 1928, the Bureau of Lighthouses allotted funds for fog signal and radio apparatus for Anacapa, as well as boats and miscellaneous improvements for water supply, sanitation, and grounds improvement. The new lighthouse’s keeper, Frederick Cobb, lit the first light on March 25, 1932. In 1939 the U.S. Coast Guard replaced the Lighthouse Service.

Atop the Cliffs of Anacapa Located on the highest point of East Anacapa Island, the Anacapa Island Lighthouse became an indispensable resource to shipping and passenger boats. At the top of the 39-foot concrete cylindrical tower flashed a third-order Fresnel lens , one of the most advanced lighthouse beacons in the world.

From 1931 through the 1960s, the light station housed a crew of between 15 and 25 people who maintained the lens, fog signal and tower, hourly weather and radar monitoring and reports, and a radio tower. When the US Coast Guard automated the station in the 1960s, the the need for a fully manned station ended and the light station was able to be operated from the mainland.

For 57 years the light station aided ships traveling through the Santa Barbara Channel. In 1989, the Coast Guard replaced the historic Fresnel lens with a solar-powered acrylic lens. These modern lenses are small versions of Augustin Fresnel’s invention, using the same technology employed by the nineteenth-century physicist.

You can visit the original Fresnel lens at the Anacapa Island visitor center. Click here for more information and photos.

Living on Anacapa Island Life at the Anacapa Island Light Station was unlike that at most stations in the country. While many light stations were in isolated and dangerous locations, Anacapa enjoyed a combination of isolation and danger with reasonable proximity to civilization.

When, for instance, the wife of assistant keeper Rex Coursey was seriously injured in a fall in 1934, the battleship California was radioed to bring her to the mainland hospital. This is not to say that risks were few. With no safe place to dock a boat, Coast Guard boats were raised to a platform with a derrick. One keeper arrived with his wife only to have their launch stuck swinging in the air as the derrick stopped working mid-operation. The officer and his terrified wife spent their welcome dangling over the swells in the landing cove, not knowing what would happen. Finally the couple made it ashore, but the wife reportedly refused to use the derrick again, denying herself shore leave until she left the island for good.

In spite of the island’s remoteness, those who worked and lived on Anacapa were self-sufficient. Most of the Spanish Revival-style structures were constructed in 1932. Fuel was stored in the oil house in three 2000-gallon tanks. Solar panels have been added to its roof for modern usage. The power house contained the generator as well as the radio room, which was converted into an apartment in the 1980s. With no fresh water, the Coast Guard constructed a tank house to protect two large redwood water tanks. The high, one-story building has tall arched windows, an arched doorway, and a circular window in a protruding gable, giving it the look of a church. The Coast Guard hoped that this “disguise” would shield the water from vandalism although it really acts to preserve the water quality and protect the tanks from rodents and weather. In addition, a 30,000-square foot cement catchment behind the tank house was built to funnel rainwater down to the water tanks. The flat surface, however, was popular with gulls and seabirds and, because of the amount of guano, the rainshed was only used occasionally.

The white stuccoed Spanish Revival-style residences typically housed six men with some families. Island residents occupied their time working, fishing, hunting rabbits, and combing the island’s nooks and crevices. Painted white stones and neat fences made the four houses and various service buildings resemble a small neighborhood. By 1951, television had come to Anacapa. Although light keepers no longer live on the island, the houses and buildings are occupied and managed by National Park staff.

World War II and the Post-War Changes The Second World War effort brought new activity to the Channel Islands. The lighthouse was extinguished during the Pacific Coast blackout in 1942 and housed some of the personnel detailed to the Coastal Lookout Station established there. The Navy took control of the Coast Guard during the war and operated the light station.

In 1961 the Coast Guard modernized the light station by replacing the fog signal system and installing electrical appliances. The following year, however, a new plan was outlined to automate the Anacapa Island Light Station and to establish a rescue facility at Point Hueneme Light Station.

By 1970 the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard reached an agreement that awarded joint custody and use of the unimproved land areas of East Anacapa, the wharf, hoist house, and hoist. NPS park rangers now occupy the residence quarters and operate the other buildings. While the park service manages the island, the Coast Guard operates the lighthouse and fog signal building.

For safety reasons, visitors to Anacapa Island are not permitted to tour the lighthouse, but the Park Service welcomes you to explore the area surrounding this historic structure and to experience the unparalleled views from Anacapa’s rocky shores.

Santa Cruz Island, the largest and most diverse of the eight Channel Islands, has a long and varied history that is tied closely to its physical attributes. Its vast grasslands, coastal scrub vegetation, oak woodlands, and rich coastline sustained the Chumash for millennia and they maintained a number of villages and seasonal settlements on the island. For most of the nineteenth century, mariners found shelter in its coves and hunters and fishermen exploited the marine life. Immigrant ranchers grazed livestock, and the military took advantage of the island’s strategic location.

Chumash Civilization and European Contact Archeological investigations indicate that Santa Cruz Island has been occupied for at least 9,000 years. The island was home to the largest population of island Chumash and developed a highly complex society dependent on marine harvest, craft specialization, and trade with mainland groups. The Santa Cruz Island Chumash produced shell beads that they used for currency, which formed an important part of the overall Chumash economy. Those living on the east end of the island mined chert from the numerous island outcroppings to make tiny blades for drilling holes to make the shell disc beads. Native villagers had no known contact with outsiders until the 16 th and early 17 th centuries. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who is credited with the first European exploration of the California coast, observed at least six villages, though he and his crew never stopped at the island. The villages were called Niquipos, Mazul, Xuga, Nitel, Macamo, and Nimitapal . Cabrillo named the island San Lucas , although the Chumash called it Limuw . Read about the legend of Limuw here .

In 1602, Sebastian Vizcaíno led the last Spanish expedition to California. His map named Santa Cruz Island the Isla de Gente Barbuda (island of the bearded people). Between 1602 and 1769 there was no recorded European contact with the island. Considering, however, the amount of traffic passing the islands, a number of unrecorded visits were probably made. Finally, in 1769, the land-and-sea expedition of Don Gaspar de la Portola reached Santa Cruz Island. Traveling with him were Father Juan González Vizcaíno and Father Francisco Palóu. Father Palóu wrote of Father Vizcaíno’s visit to the Santa Cruz village of Xaxas that the missionaries on ship went ashore and “they were well received by the heathen and presented with fish, in return for which the Indians were given some strings of beads.” Upon returning to their ship the missionaries soon realized that they had forgotten their staff in the village. Father Palóu wrote:

They immediately gave it up as lost, on account of the cross that it carried for it was of iron, and it was known how the Indians coveted this metal. But they were so honest that at daybreak it was discovered that one of the little canoes of the island was coming to the ship, and that one of the heathen was carrying in his hand the staff with the holy cross. Climbing on board he delivered it to the father and after being rewarded returned to the island. For this reason it was called the Island of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz), and as such it has been known ever since.

The island was considered for establishment of a Catholic mission to serve the large Chumash population. When the mission at San Buenaventura was founded across the channel in 1782, it commenced the slow religious conversion of the Santa Cruz Chumash. In 1822, the last of the Chumash left the island for mainland California.

Maritime Commerce Santa Cruz served as a base for otter hunters, fishermen, and smugglers. Smugglers Cove, for instance, derived its name from these illicit activities. The Channel Islands often provided smugglers and bootleggers with convenient and isolated hideaways in which to store their goods for a time.

George Nidever recalled hunting otter at Santa Cruz in the winter of 1835-1836. Working from a base camp at Santa Rosa Island, he and two others obtained 60 skins that season. Fishermen encamped on the island, trading fish for other goods from passing boats.

Early Ownership With Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican government asserted its control over California. In an effort to increase the Mexican presence, the government began sending convicted criminals to populate many areas. Around 40 prisoners were sent to Santa Barbara where, upon arrival, they were sent to Santa Cruz Island. They lived for a short time in an area now known as Prisoners Harbor. Read more about their interesting story by following this link .

Through a land grant from the Mexican government, Captain Andres Castillero became the first private owner of Santa Cruz Island from 1839 to 1857. When California became a state in 1850, the United States government required that land previously granted by Spanish and Mexican governments be proved before the Board of Land Commissioners. For twelve years Castillero’s claim to Santa Cruz Island was disputed, even after his property had been sold. During Castillero’s ownership, Dr. James B. Shaw, an English physician, acted as manager of the island. He built the island’s first ranch house by 1855 and is thought to have brought the first French Merino sheep to the island.

Ranching on Santa Cruz Island Andres Castillero sold the island to William Barron, a San Francisco businessman and co-owner of the company Barron, Forbes & Co., in 1857. During the twelve years that Barron owned the island, Dr. Shaw continued manage it as superintendent and was charged by Barron to expand the sheep ranching operation begun during the Castillero era. The Civil War significantly increased the demand for wool and by 1864 some 24,000 sheep grazed the hills and valleys of Santa Cruz Island.

Shaw’s island sheep ranch was well known by 1869, the year he left Santa Cruz. He imported cattle, horses, and sheep to the island and erected one of the earliest wharves along the California coast at Prisoners Harbor by 1869. He built corrals and houses for himself and his employees and expanded the road system. Shaw was the first rancher to ship sheep to San Francisco by steamer, some selling at $30 per animal. The press frequently praised the quality of sheep and wool coming from the Santa Cruz Island ranch. In 1859, the Sacramento Daily Union published an article about the sheep in the Santa Barbara area:

Sheep of a much finer quality can be found in this county, and we doubt if anything superior can be found in the State than those owned by Dr. Shaw, on the island of Santa Cruz. Judging from the number of persons who have purchased from the doctor, for the purpose of raising sheep, Santa Barbara Country bids fair, in a few years, to be one of the greatest sheep producing sections in the state.

When Barron sold the island in 1869, Shaw left for San Francisco and Los Alamos where he continued ranching. At that time, the gross proceeds from the ranch on Santa Cruz Island were supposedly $50,000.

Justinian Caire and the Caire Ranch William Barron sold the island to ten investors from San Francisco for $150,000. One of the investors, Justinian Caire, was a French immigrant and founder of a successful San Francisco hardware business that sold equipment to miners. By the late 1880s Caire had acquired all of the shares of the Santa Cruz Island Company which he and his colleagues had founded in 1869. He continued a successful livestock and ranching industry on the island for many years.

From the ranch headquarters in the central valley (also called Rancho del Medio for its central location on the island), Justinian Caire developed an impressive agricultural operation with satellite ranches on the east and west ends of the island and at Prisoners Harbor, as well as seasonal and short-term ranches on other parts of the island. Diversified production, including wool, beef, wine, fruit and nuts, in addition to sustainable gardens, orchards and flocks of fowl, decreased the need to import food and goods from the mainland and sustained the ranching operations through the boom and bust cycles of the livestock industry.

Caire brought architectural styles and culture from Europe and, during its heyday, more than 100 workers, mostly Italian but including French, American, Mexican Californian, and Indian, were employed at the ranch and worked as blacksmiths, masons, carpenters, painters, sheep-shearers, team drivers, vintners, butchers, dairymen and sailors. Caire’s legacy is visible on the island in brick and stone ranch buildings, the groves of ornamental trees and fruit and nut orchards, the numerous dry stone masonry structures walls and dams, and the road system. Descendents of Justinian Caire still reside in California and many are active in the preservation of the island history.

An extended and complicated series of litigation among Caire family members resulted in the division of the island and the sale of most of it in 1937. Justinian Caire's descendents retained 6,000 acres on the east end of the island, on which they continued the sheep ranching operation. Other family members sold the remaining 90 percent of the island to Los Angeles oilman Edwin Stanton in 1937.

The Stanton Ranch Edwin Stanton’s purchase of the major part of Santa Cruz Island brought a major shift in agricultural production on the island. After trying for a short time to continue the sheep operation, he decided to switch to beef production. At the time, the beef industry in California was growing rapidly, with Santa Barbara County among the top ten beef producers in the state.

The Stanton Ranch was a major part of Santa Barbara County’s cattle industry between the 1940s and 1980s and, at 54,000 acres, was the largest in size. Neighboring Santa Rosa Island exceeded Stanton’s cattle numbers on similar acreage.

Edwin Stanton’s ranch on Santa Cruz Island saw changes that reflected the evolution of cattle ranching in a working landscape. While retaining most of the 19 th century structures dating from the Caire period, Stanton constructed a few buildings to meet the needs of his cattle ranch, the most notable of which is Rancho del Norte on the isthmus. Pasture fencing and corrals were altered to suit the cattle operation and an extensive water system was added to provide water to the cattle.

The End of Island Ranching The Gherini family, descendents of Justinian Caire, continued their sheep ranching operations on the east end of Santa Cruz Island until 1984, using Scorpion Ranch as their base. They managed the island with resident managers and laborers and often worked as a family during shearing and during the summer. Production dropped during the 1970s and 80s and the expense of ranching on a remote island rose. By 1984 the last ranch lessee vacated the island and a newly formed hunting club called Island Adventures leased the facilities from the Gherinis. The hunt club used the ranch houses at Scorpion and Smugglers to house guests who came to hunt the feral pigs and remaining sheep.

With Edwin Stanton’s death in 1964, his widow and son, Carey, re-incorporated the Santa Cruz Island Company and continued the cattle operations on the island. Carey Stanton died unexpectedly in 1987 at the ranch and was buried in the family plot in the island chapel yard at the Main Ranch. His personal possessions on the island, some of which dated to the Caire era, were left to the Santa Cruz Island Foundation. The real property passed to The Nature Conservancy through a prior agreement that Carey Stanton had established with the non-profit organization. The Nature Conservancy rapidly liquidated the cattle operation and ended the ranching era on the island.

Military Uses of Santa Cruz Island The military forces of the United States took notice of Santa Cruz Island during World War II, and since that time have constructed and maintained strategic installations in the name of national security. Like all its neighbors, Santa Cruz Island served as an early warning outpost watching for enemy planes and ships during World War II. The Cold War brought the communications station as a part of the Pacific Missile Range. This station remains in operation, although not at the levels of its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s.

The National Park Service While Santa Cruz Island did not attain National Park designation until 1980, visitors and previous owners of the island have understood the resource values of the island and contemplated preserving the property as a park for perhaps 100 years.

In 1936 the Caire family reportedly offered their 9/10ths of the island for $750,000 to the state of California for use as a state or federal park. Nothing came of this proposal and the property was sold to Edwin Stanton. Stanton's son and heir was not interested in a government purchase of his beloved island and took steps to avoid such events by forging an agreement with The Nature Conservancy and the property was transferred to the organization upon his death. Although Santa Cruz Island is included within the boundaries of Channel Islands National Park, The Nature Conservancy portion of the island does not belong to the park. A transfer of 8,500 acres from the Nature Conservancy to the park was completed in 2000.

Channel Islands National Park owns and operates approximately 24 percent of Santa Cruz Island. Today, a combination of organizations which includes The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, the University of California Field Station, and the Santa Cruz Island Foundation work to protect the island’s natural and historic resources. For more information on visiting Santa Cruz Island click here .

Constructed in 1932, the Anacapa Island Light Station featured a third-order Fresnel lens, the most advanced example of lens technology at the time.

In 1822 the Frenchman Augustin Fresnel (fray-nel) improved the dioptric, or refractive, lens used in many lighthouse beacons. Resembling a giant beehive surrounding a single lamp, the glass prisms at the top and bottom refracted the light, sending it out in a narrow sheet. The dioptric section is a round bull’s-eye panel that produces the bright flash of the light. The light appeared brighter and more concentrated, giving it a much more effective and farther range. In the United States Fresnel lenses were made in seven sizes, or orders, the first-order being the largest.

In 1932 a rotating, catadioptric, third-order Fresnel lens with a 1000-watt incandescent bulb assembly was installed in the Anacapa Lighthouse. Manufactured between 1900 and 1903 by the Chance Brothers Company in England, it was transported to the United States and stored with other lenses to be used in west coast lighthouses. As each lighthouse was built, a lens was taken out of storage and installed in the lighthouse tower. Powered by diesel generator, its 600,000 candlepower had a visibility of 24 miles!

Until the 1960s the light station required a crew of 15 to 25 people to care for the lens and tower. The lighthouse was automated to run for several months at a time in the 1960s. An automatic lamp changer halved the number of times a tender would have to change a burned-out bulb. The brass structure of the lens was painted black because it was no longer regularly polished.

in 1989 the Coast Gurad replaced the original Fresnel lens with a solar-powered unit now used in the lighthouse. You can see the original Fresnel lens on display at the Anacapa Island visitor center. Click here for more information.

Mammoths have always fascinated people. From the creators of the earliest known cave painting and carvings to 20th century practitioners of modern art and even to today's tourists, humans have tried to grasp the essence of this magnificent creature – its enormous size, strength and beauty and its coexistence with and importance to humans. In 1994, paleontologists made the remarkable discovery of a pygmy mammoth on Santa Rosa Island, the most complete collection of its kind in the world.

Found only on the California Channel Islands and nowhere else in the world, the pygmy mammoth was probably a small form of the Columbian mammoth found on the mainland. Pygmy mammoths varied from 4.5 to 7 feet high at the shoulders and may have weighed only about 2,000 pounds, compared to the 14-foot tall, 20,000 pound Columbian mammoth. In other respects, they were probably similar, with short fur, a typical mammoth body form, and a relatively large head.

The first remains of "elephants" on Santa Rosa Island were reported in 1873. Additional excavations over the years have given a basic understanding of a population of mammoths on the islands which became smaller in body size through time and which perished as the Pleistocene ended. Paleontological excavations on Santa Rosa Island in 1927 and 1928 resulted in the retrieval of a significant collection of a new species described as Mammuthus exilis . Philip Orr of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History recovered additional materials during archeological and geological work on Santa Rosa Island during the 1940s and 1950s.

Remains of mammoths are most common on Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands , with smaller numbers recovered from Santa Cruz Island and from San Nicolas Island , outside the park. The recovered specimens range in size from 4 to 8 feet at the shoulder, compared to the 12 to 14 foot height of mainland mammoths.

The Journey to the Islands Approximately 40,000 to 20,000 years ago, a small group of 14-foot tall, 20,000-pound Columbian mammoths embarked on a journey that would eventually end in the development of a new species—the Channel Islands pygmy mammoth. Leaving the heavily grazed mainland behind, these Columbian mammoths swam towards the scents of abundant vegetation from the huge, mountainous island of Santarosae.

Approximately 20,000 years ago when sea level was about 300 feet lower than it is today, the four northern islands joined together to form an Ice Age “superisland” known as Santarosae. This island was only 6 miles from the mainland at its closest distance. As the ice sheets and glaciers melted and the sea level rose, only the highest parts of Santarosae remained as modern islands.

But how did they reach the island? With their snorkel-like trunk and buoyant mass, elephants, living relatives of mammoths, are considered excellent distance swimmers, among the best of all land mammals, and skilled at crossing watergaps. Documented accounts demonstrate that Asian elephant swim to islands they cannot even see – some up to 23 miles away—guided by the odor of ripening fruit and vegetation. There is no reason that Pleistocene mammoths were not just as seaworthy, and just as good at swimming.

Evolving into a New Species Once on the island, the population of mammoths increased and, eventually, the food supply became scarce as the island decreased in size due to climatic changes – glaciers and ice sheets melting, and sea levels rising. Those mammoths that were smaller and could survive with less food and water were at an advantage, especially in times of seasonal shortages. Over time, smaller animals that required fewer resources became the norm. In addition, the absence of predators on the islands also may have contributed to this downsizing: large size was no longer needed for predator avoidance and defense.

Within less than 20,000 years, natural selection favored smaller-sized mammoths that stood less than 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder, less than half the height of their mainland ancestor. Thus, the small mammoths became a new species, the Channel Islands pygmy mammoth.

The pygmy mammoth is an extinct member of an ancient and unique group of mammals collectively known as probiscideans. This name comes from the Greek word probiscis and refers to the large or extended noses. While the fossil history of this group spans over 55 million years and more than 160 different species, today’s elephants are the last survivors of this widespread group of animals.

Extinction After 200,000 years as one of Earth's most dominant species, mammoths, which once thrived across Europe, Asia and North American, became extinct nearly 10,000 years ago. The extinction of the mammoths was also part of the much wider phenomenon of disappearance of the world's larger mammals, which started about 40,000 years ago and reached its peak between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. Just what caused the demise of this Pleistocene megafauna is still unknown: nearly 30 years of research and testing has not yet provided an answer that is universally convincing.

Special Islands Mammoth finds are by no means rare. Complete skeletons to cave paintings have been discovered on four continents in a wide variety of locations: an engraving of a mammoth on mammoth ivory found in a rock shelter southwestern France; a preserved frozen carcass of a baby male mammoth in the permafrost of Siberia; a sinkhole with more than 100 mammoth remains in Hot Springs, South Dakota; and, of course, our own mammoth find right here in our backyard, within Channel Islands National Park – the discovery of the world's first virtually complete pygmy mammoth skeleton in 1994.

Studying the pygmy mammoth reveals how important the Channel Islands are in illuminating the mysteries of evolution. The isolation of the islands have made them natural laboratories of evolutionary extravagance, as seen not only in the pygmy mammoth, but also in the extinct giant mouse, the diminutive island fox, the munchkin dudleya, and the giant, bright blue Island Jay. Isolated from their mainland relations and exposed to unique environmental conditions, the ancestors of these plants and animals, along with over 70 others, responded by becoming new species unique to the island – found nowhere else on earth.

Surfacing over the horizon from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the coastal mountains of California's Channel Islands offer an extraordinary gateway to the past, spanning more than 12,000 years of human history.

The Channel Islands have attracted many explorers, scientists and historians during the past few centuries. Today, island visitors can explore the world of the native Chumash, walk the shores where European explorers landed, discover new tales from California's ranching history, and witness the remains of off-shore shipwrecks.

The northern Channel Islands were home to many native Chumash communities who are believed to have inhabited the islands for thousands of years. When Europeans first reached the islands in the 16th century, they discovered a rich culture dependent upon the resources of the land and the sea for sustenance and survival. By the nineteenth century, the islands were fulfilling different purposes: vast sheep and cattle ranches occupied Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel islands and the channel waters were aggressively harvested for fish and marine mammals. The remains of ancient Chumash villages are intermingled with historic ranch complexes and later military structures, testifying to the diverse heritage of human experience on these offshore islands.

Each of the five Channel Islands has a unique history. Channel Islands National Park invites you to learn more about the people, places, and stories associated with each of these islands and to experience the fascinating heritage of coastal southern California!

Welcome to the Nature and Science pages for Channel Islands National Park. Here you will find information on the great diversity of life found on the islands and in the surrounding ocean, an overview of some of the habitats and ecosystems unique to the islands, descriptions of several programs in place within and outside the park to study and protect these systems, and links to additional information.

Channel Islands National Park was established in large part to protect the unique natural and cultural resources found both on the islands and within ocean waters, and the park has a long history of monitoring, protecting and restoring these resources. Even the shortest visit to the islands exposes visitors to the beauty and richness of park resources, whether it be leaping dolphins, undulating kelp, flowering Coreopsis, scampering mice, or soaring bald eagles. We hope this virtual visit to the natural resources of Channel Islands National Park provides you with information, if that is what you seek, or hopefully the inspiration to experience the islands more intimately by traveling yourself across the Santa Barbara Channel. As the islands continually change in response to changing natural conditions and human impacts, our understanding of the resources within our care must also respond. Scientifically-based research can provide such information, and can answer many questions about how plants and animals live and how we can best protect them. Within these pages we provide examples of current and past research that attempts to increase our knowledge of island resources and in some cases provide links for more information.

Channel Islands National Park supports a diverse terrestrial flora, including many rare, relict, and endemic species, as well as many nonnative species. Numerous plants are rare on the islands but have a wider distribution on the mainland. On the other hand, due to environmental conditions and isolation from the mainland, many of the plants that are native on the California mainland do not grow here. A total of about 790 plant taxa, including species, subspecies, varieties, and forms, have been identified in the park, of which about 578 are native and 205 are nonnative.

Each island supports a unique assemblage of vegetative communities, which differ due to climate, microhabitats, topography, geology, soils, plant colonization history, isolation, and land use history. Many of the islands' native vegetative communities have been greatly altered by people and the introduction of nonnative species and are in various stages of recovery. The major vegetative community types on the islands include coastal dune, coastal bluff, coastal sage scrub, grasslands, chaparral, island oak woodlands, mixed hardwood woodlands, pine stands, and riparian areas. Currently, the most extensive vegetation communities on the islands are grassland and coastal sage scrub with significant areas of chaparral on Santa Cruz Island, and to a lesser degree, on Santa Rosa Island. Various phases of coastal bluff scrub constitute the next largest category. Mixed broadleaf woodland stands, oak woodlands, and pine stands are scattered throughout on sheltered slopes and canyons, or on ridges exposed to frequent moist fogs. Smaller but no less significant vegetation communities include coastal dune, baccharis scrub, caliche scrub, and wetlands.

A variety of organisms can be found on and around the Channel Islands, from top predators like bald eagles and sharks, to intertidal residents such as seastars and barnacles, to the tiniest parasites living on other animals and plants. For this page we have organized the information into birds, marine animals, terrestrial animals, and paleo animals, although many animals utilize resources from both the ocean and the land.

Because of their isolation and remote nature, the Channel Islands support fewer native animal species than similar habitats on the mainland. Species that reached the islands were aerial, such as birds and bats, or rafted across the water on debris and other material. Over time some vertebrate species evolved into distinct subspecies on the islands. For example, the deer mouse and island fox are recognized as distinct subspecies on each of the islands they occur. A total of 23 endemic terrestrial animals have been identified in the park, including 11 land birds, that are Channel Island subspecies or races.

Natural areas, such as Channel Islands National Park, play an important role in indicating when critical changes are happening on the earth, our life support system. Parks can play the role of “the canary in the mine.” Just as the miner’s canary alerted mine workers to poison gases in a shaft, natural areas can alert us to biological, chemical, and environmental changes that will affect our quality of life and the survival of species.

The Channel Islands played a role in two events in 1969 that galvanized our nation to take seriously the growing warning signs of our deteriorating environment. In January 1969, an environmental disaster occurred in the Santa Barbara Channel. An offshore oil platform suffered a blowout. 200,000 gallons of crude oil escaped into the ocean over a period of eleven days. The oil created an 800-square- mile slick that impacted all of the northern Channel Islands and nearby mainland beaches. Thousands of seabirds and marine mammals died.

At the same time, scientists were becoming aware of a serious decline in the breeding success of California brown pelicans. Adult brown pelicans appeared to still be numerous, providing a deceptive façade that environmental conditions were intact. However, when the scientists looked more closely, they realized with horror that the pelicans were unable to nest successfully because the eggshells were too thin to withstand incubation and thus were crushed in the nest. For several years, the pelicans suffered nearly total reproductive failure. In 1970, only one chick was successfully raised on Anacapa Island, an island that had historically been the largest breeding colony for California brown pelicans on the west coast of the U.S.

The cause of the failed pelican breeding was DDT, an organochlorine pesticide. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the mean eggshell thickness was found to be approximately 50% thinner than normal. High levels of DDT residues were correlated with the eggshell thinning--the higher the DDT levels the thinner the eggshells. Later analysis of museum eggshells collected before 1943 and the notes of biologists showed that the eggshells of California brown pelicans were substantially thinner by 1962. Also, a long-term decline of brown pelicans began along the California coast as early as the mid-1950s. DDT similary affected bald eagles and peregrine falcons. However, because there was no standardized biological monitoring of pelicans (or any other wildlife), the problem wasn’t identified until the populations had nearly collapsed.

Pollutants have affected other species on the Channel Islands also. Bald eagles were once an important component of the island ecosystem. It is estimated that at least twenty nesting pairs of bald eagles occurred on the park islands in the early 1900s. Hunting, egg collection, and DDT all took their toll and resulted in the total elimination of bald eagles by the 1950s.

Fortunately, the American public and government reacted strongly to the loss of wildlife and the growing pollution of the environment. Many consider the publicity surrounding the Santa Barbara oil spill and the fate of the California brown pelican a major impetus to the environmental movement. Just one year later, in the spring of 1970, Earth Day was born.

Channel Islands National Park lies in a remote, isolated area at the confluence of two major ocean currents, a region of persistent ocean upwelling, and the border of two tectonic plates. The powerful and dynamic forces of land and sea in this unique region have shaped the islands and their inhabitants.

The park preserves some of the finest remnants of the coastal Mediterranean type of ecosystem, a rare combination of climate and vegetation that exists in only five places in the world. A unique suite of plants and animals colonized the islands and adapted to the particular conditions of each one. Isolated for eons, many evolved into species and subspecies not found anywhere else. As a result, despite its small size Channel Islands National Park harbors biological diversity characteristic of nearly 1,000 miles of the West Coast of North America.

Park waters are also exceptionally productive. Cool, nutrient-rich ocean currents swirl around the islands, rising into abundant sunlight and mixing with warm coastal waters. The combination of nutrients and sun accelerates photosynthesis and the growth of multitudes of sea life all the way up the food chain-from microscopic plankton to blue whales.

The park also contains a prolific paleontological record with evidence of extinct species such as pygmy mammoth, flightless sea duck, vampire bat, and giant deer mouse.

The wealth of natural resources in Channel Islands National Park offers the public unparalleled opportunities for solitude, tranquility, wildlife viewing, outdoor recreation, appreciation of natural history, and environmental education.

Landbird populations and species compo­sitions on the islands can change from year to year, depending on mainland species that reach the islands, changes in habitats, com­petitors or predators that arrive or leave the islands, or areas that are disturbed by people. Most of the bird species probably have experienced a loss of preferred food and shelter due to the alteration of the islands' scrub habitats.

Nine raptor species live in the park and are primarily seen on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. Hawks and owls also occur intermittently on Anacapa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara, which have limited habitat to support these birds. Several bird species disappeared from the park during the 20th century. An endemic subspecies of song sparrow ( Melospiza melodia graminea ) on Santa Barbara was driven to extinction due to habitat destruction by introduced rabbits, direct predation by feral cats, and a fire in 1959 that destroyed much of its habitat. Both bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and peregrine falcons ( Falco peregrinus anatum ) also formerly bred on the islands, but largely disappeared due to harassment, shooting, egg stealing, and reproductive failure caused by organochlorine pesticides, such as DDT. However, both of these species are making a comeback due to reintroduction efforts. Peregrines were reintroduced on the islands in the 1980s and bald eagles were reintroduced starting in 2002.

Camping is available year-round on all five islands in Channel Islands National Park. Limited backcountry camping is available on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. Reservations Reservations are required for all park campgrounds. Reservations can be made up to six months in advance on recreation.gov . If you are taking public boat transportation on Island Packers, find dates on which both boat tickets and a campsite are available. Booking early will increase your options. What to Expect All campgrounds are located away from the boat landing areas. Visitors must carry all their gear to the campgrounds. No on-island transportation is provided. Campgrounds are rustic, and users must camp within designated areas. All campgrounds are equipped with picnic tables and toilets. Not all toilets flush. Drinking water is not available on most islands and must be brought with you. Water from natural sources should be purified before drinking or washing with it. Drinking water is available at Scorpion Canyon campground on Santa Cruz Island and on Santa Rosa Island in the historic ranch area and at Water Canyon Campground. No trash collection is available. Campers must pack out their own trash. Campgrounds on San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands have wind breaks for each campsite. Campfires are not allowed. Use only chemical-fuel stoves for cooking. Island mice have tested positive for hantavirus . Take basic precautions: do not feed any wild animals; keep food and drink in rodent-proof containers; and prevent entry of mice into your tent by keeping it zipped up at all times. Campers must store all food and trash in animal-proof containers. Food storage boxes are provided at campsites. Foxes and ravens are capable of opening zippers. Secure zippers on tents and bags with safety pins, twist ties, paper clips, or small carabiners.

Island Campground Distance from Pier/Wharf Notes # Sites Anacapa Anacapa Island Campground ½ mile, including 157 stairs Vault toilets. No drinking water. Gull nesting season is April to August. 7 Santa Cruz Scorpion Canyon Campground ½ mile Vault toilets. Drinking water available. Group campsites available. 25, plus 6 group Santa Cruz Prisoners Harbor Campground ¼ mile Vault toilets. No drinking water. 6 Santa Rosa Water Canyon Campground 1 ½ miles Flush toilets. Drinking water available. Very windy. 15 San Miguel San Miguel Island Campground 1 mile on a steep, narrow trail Vault toilets. No drinking water. Extremely windy. 9 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Island Campground ¼ mile on a steep trail Vault toilets. No drinking water. Extremely windy. 10

Weather Campers should be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, especially on the outer islands. Thirty-knot winds are not uncommon on Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Sturdy, low-profile tents, stakes, and line for securing tents to ground, table, or wind shelters are recommended. Fog can occur on the islands during any season producing cool, damp conditions. All of the campgrounds, except eastern Santa Cruz, are located away from trees and shade. Overexposure to the wind and sun can be a serious problem. Visitors are advised to bring supplies for an extra day in case boats are unable to pick up campers due to sea conditions. For the most current weather forecast, please visit Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's Internet Weather Kiosk .

Suggested Camping Gear Campers must be prepared for the primitive campground facilities and weather conditions. Supplies and gear are not available on the islands. Gear must be transported up ladders at most landing areas, and carried some distance to the campgrounds. Packing your gear in backpacks, duffle bags, and containers with handles makes transportation easier. The boat concessionaire requires that items weigh no more than 45 pounds each. On some islands, visitors may get wet during loading and off-loading, so waterproof your gear. An extra pair of shoes packed in waterproof material is recommended. Campers should plan to layer clothing, as weather conditions tend to change from cool and damp in the mornings to bright, warm, and windy during the afternoons. Clothing that protects against wind is advisable year-round. Hiking boots are recommended for most island trails. Additional "needed" gear includes: hat/visor/cap sunglasses windbreaker/light jacket shirts and pants that can be layered normal clothing needs food sturdy tent campstove/cooking gear water (1 gallon per person, per day) sunscreen flashlight sleeping bag matches first aid kit "Suggested" gear includes: bathing suit gloves poncho/rain jacket sneakers/light footwear towel seasick pills garbage bags camera/film binoculars toiletries sleeping pads The following items may not be brought to the park: Live or Potted Plants Soil Cut Flowers Firewood or any untreated, unfinished wood (including hiking sticks) Corrugated boxes Tools or equipment with attached soil Motorized vehicles Bicycles Single-use plastic grocery bags

Many trails and roads traverse the islands, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities. These trails and roads range from the maintained, relatively flat, signed trails of Anacapa to the unmaintained, rugged, mountainous, unsigned paths of Santa Rosa. Please click on the links below for maps and descriptions of island trails. In addition, trail maps, guides, and topographic maps are available at park visitor centers and at island bulletin boards.

Hiking Safety Hikers need to assume individual responsibility for planning their trips and hiking safely. To increase your odds of a safe hike, decrease your disturbance to wildlife, and lessen damage to resources, visitors should be in good physical condition and must follow the regulations and guidelines in Laws and Policies and Limiting Your Impact as well as those listed below: Stay on trails and roads while hiking- avoid animal trails which are narrow, uneven, unstable and dangerous. Cliff edges should be avoided at all times since they tend to be crumbly and unstable. Stay well back. Children should be supervised at all times by an adult. Carry plenty of water -one quart for short walks, more for longer hikes. Hikers should never hike alone-use the buddy system . This allows someone to go for help if you encounter trouble. Be aware of poison oak, "jumping" cholla cactus, ticks, and scorpions . Poison oak can be identified by its clusters of three shiny leaflets. Some ticks carry disease; check your clothing and exposed skin after hiking. Learn how to prevent tick-borne illness at Ticks . In order to help prevent wildfires, do not smoke on trails or in brush areas . Smoking is allowed only on beaches or other designated areas. In departing from the islands, visitors are responsible for meeting the boat concessionaire on time . Be aware of departure time by asking the ranger or concessionaire employees. Hantavirus is present in island deer mouse populations. This is a potentially fatal disease and some basic precautions should be taken. Visit Hantavirus for more information During winter and spring, visitors need to be prepared for a wet creek crossing on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. After heavy rains, water in creeks can increase dramatically in a short period of time, becoming fast moving and over 2 feet deep. Learn more at Safe Creek Crossings .